Is Keratin Good For Our Natural Hair?

A Keratin Hair Story

(originally written February 4, 2015 on shared blog)

The other day I was at a friend's house helping her with her natural hair. Her husband is very supportive about her natural hair journey and wants to learn as much about it as she does. Right now, her hair is unhealthy and as a new friend and someone that knows a lot about natural hair, I wanted to help her. They have two daughters--one is transitioning from the relaxer and one is completely chemical free. The girls like their hair straight, so it is flat ironed straight every 3 weeks and wrapped and covered up at nights to keep it straight. My friend's husband ensures that they use a straightening keratin shampoo and conditioner as their only cleanser and conditioner.

A few days ago when my friend washed and conditioned her hair with their keratin straightening shampoo and conditioner set, she called me over to help her because she wasn't seeing any curls. Because she wasn't seeing any curls, she bought a hair jelly and it did nothing for her hair. I told her to stop using the straightening set and that curl jelly's are more for type 3 hair types, not her type 4 hair. I also explained to her that she has to look at ingredients before she buys her products from now on.

My friend's low porosity hair needs more moisture enriched products. She should do a protein treatment only when needed. The hair cuticles on low porosity hair is already tightly closed, which prevents moisture from getting in; therefore, adding too much protein, especially large proteins like animal protein for instance, will make it worse. (Click here to learn how to test your hair to see if it needs more moisture or protein.) In the case of her straightening shampoo and conditioner, it was ingredients that were preventing her from seeing her curl pattern. Please note, not all straightening treatments or products are made equal.

What is Keratin?

To simplify, it is the protein in which 90% of our hair is made up of. It is the main structural constituent of our hair, skin, and nails. Also, in feathers, hoofs, claws, horns, wool, etc. 

Functional vs. Hydrolyzed Keratin

The difference between functional and hydrolyzed keratin is the process by which it was extracted. Hydrolyzed keratin is extracted from animal horns and hooves using acid and extreme heat, which degrades the protein. Functional keratin is extracted from sheep's wool using techniques that do not use acid or heat. Therefore, making functional keratin more true to its original form. Most hair-care and skincare products use hydrolyzed keratin. Hydrolyzed keratin can easily absorb into the skin and penetrate low porosity hair, which makes it ideal for skincare products that requires absorption into the skin and naturals with low porosity hair. For naturals with high porosity hair and/or anyone with chemically treated hair, functional keratin is required to protect/repair your hair.

When shopping for keratin products, look at the ingredients on the back of the bottle or container to see which type is used in that product. Replicine Functional Keratin protein is the only functional keratin protein on the market. Products with Replicine Functional keratin will have the words, 'keratin', 'functional keratin' or 'oxidized keratin' on the ingredients label.

Is Keratin A Hair Straightener?

While keratin is a major component of keratin straightening treatment, it is not a hair straightener. As stated previously, it is a protein found in your hair, skin, and nails. It's only an ingredient in the hair straightening process and products. The word 'keratin' is popular, so a title of "Keratin Straightening Treatment" is better than "Formaldehyde Straightening Treatment". This also makes it difficult for some naturals to tell which keratin product is a straightening treatment and which is an actual a protein treatment. In any case, keratin plays a positive role in the treatment because it conditions and strengthens the hair after the actual treatment damages it to get it straight. If your goal is to keep your hair straight, then Keratin Straightening Treatments are for you. In addition, if you're going to the salon, ask to see the ingredients on their bottle/container. For the sake of your health, make sure the product is formaldehyde-free. 

Keep in mind that products with formaldehyde help keep the hair straighter for longer, so products without it won't have that long lasting effect. Which is it going to be? Also, if you stop doing keratin straightening treatments, it may leave your hair damaged because of the long term usage.

Is Keratin Good For Our Natural Hair?

Keratin protein is a great protein treatment (not talking about the straightening treatment). The problem with Keratin straightening treatments are the harsh ingredients that are added, not the keratin protein in the products. Functional keratin is more true to its original form; whereas, hydrolyzed keratin is a lighter/broken version. Light proteins, like silk protein, are good for low porosity hair. Heavier proteins, like vegetable protein, are better for high porosity hair. So yes, keratin protein, is good for our hair--strengthens it, less frizz, etc.


If you have any questions or comments about this article, please post a comment below. Have a great day!